chocolate bourbon pecan butterscotch blondies

February 8, 2012

Baking gets a bad rap because it has to share the kitchen with its more forgiving, cool, jazzy and all around hip cousin – cooking.

Baking gets called things like “precise” and “exact” and has to fall by the wayside while cooking gets to have all fun. For every cup of flour you have to spoon and level there is a sauté pan sizzling away in the kitchen.

When you are hanging with your ol’ pal cooking, it doesn’t really matter if you are out of green beans since you could probably substitute asparagus or depending on what you were going for in the first place, heck, maybe even olives would be tasty! Whatever. You are probably going to eat it in the end and it will also probably taste good.

It gets a bit trickier with baking. Personally – and I am extremely biased here – baking is worth your work. There is a reason you don’t make friends with salads.

(Have you ever wondered about BAKINGMAKESFRIENDS? What I keep yammering on about here from my tiny slice of the web? Well that little sentence right there pretty much sums it up!)

It is slightly more challenging when you are crafting out of butter, flour and sugar. You can’t really go and tag out butter, and expect to win in the game of baking. So for all the times that I’ve been told by someone that they can’t bake, I say, then you haven’t tried the world’s easiest recipe for the world’s best treat.

This is a recipe for all.

For old vets – think of this as your little black dress. Just jazzed up with accessories! It is only a bonus that those happen to be things like: bourbon, spiced pecans, brown butter, chocolate, and sea salt.

For newbies or those who have been burned (oh yeah) by baking – this recipe will have you wondering what you questioned in the first place. It is one bowl, people! Keep the butterscotch base and add in whatever your heart desires!

P.S. If you live in Brooklyn, stop the lovely shop Thistle & Clover tonight from 5:30 – 8:30 for a Valentine’s Day shopping party! BMUB treats will be served! Hope to see y’all tonight!

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Butterscotch Blondies
Makes one 8×8 pan (or one 11 x 4 tart pan, as above)

Adapted from How to Cook Everything

Butterscotch base:
1 stick butter, browned (or melted)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour (increase the flour by one tablespoon if using booze)

To go to fancytown:
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup spiced pecans, coarsely chopped
flaky salt, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter the pan and set aside. Stir together the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and beat until fully combined. Stir in the vanilla, salt and bourbon. Add the flour and beat vigorously until thick and shiny. Add the chocolate and pecans. Pour into the prepared pan, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool. Slice. Serve.


 

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Sidra February 8, 2012 at 1:15 pm

“jazzy and all around hip cousin.” lol. LOVE IT. these look amazing. xo

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Jean Sullivan February 8, 2012 at 6:50 pm

The only thing that would make this better is a bit of cayenne pepper:-)

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Lillie February 9, 2012 at 12:08 am

Hah! Yes, I do like to put it in everything 🙂

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Catherine February 8, 2012 at 10:22 pm

I have to say, your daring use of puns, cliche and metaphor cause me to want to bake up a butterscotch storm! These look so yummy. I will try it with my gluten-free flour and see how it goes.

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Lillie February 9, 2012 at 9:02 pm

excellent! love to hear how they turn out!

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